Terrica Ann (Landon) Dutton

Our sweet, beautiful, genuine, effervescent girl was taken from us on August 2, 2023. She tragically passed in an accident doing what she loved: running like no one else could.

Terrica was born April 24, 1997, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Holly (Jensen) Landon and Tory Landon. She grew up as curious as can be—never satisfied with her own limitations. From a young age, she would sit out all day on the trampoline reading every book she could find and consuming all of the words, poems, and stories she could.

A friend to all, Terrica was genuine and kind, often greeting each person she encountered with a bright smile and heartfelt compliment. She always put the needs of others before her own, and was the first to lend a helping hand. She is fiercely loyal and a peacemaker, and brought a light into her home as the sweet baby girl in her family.

She was a natural and fearless athlete, and had the loudest cheering voice, whether for her own team, or cheering her siblings on. Her determination has always been that of an iron will - she could hold her eyes open as tears streamed down her face during staring contests, hold a wall sit until she was the last one standing, run and run despite the physical pain, and had spent the last several months mastering the art of nursing her sweet baby around the clock. In the recent years, she became a devoted runner, completing several marathons, and was most recently training for the Lubbock Marathon.

She is, and has always been so beautiful inside and out. She delighted in getting ready every day - intricate makeup looks, detailed hair styles, and glamorous eye makeup. Her mom and sisters loved taking pictures of her - as a child, our family often sang to her, “Terrica, Miss America, we love her and we like her ‘cause she’s Terrica!” Beyond her physical beauty, the love and goodness that emanated from her defied all earthly beauty.

Music brought an incredible amount of joy and transcendence to Terrica, often moving her to tears. Her singing voice was angelic, and she naturally gravitated toward soulful and eclectic songs. She was moved deeply by the music of Hamilton, Pride and Prejudice, Phantom of the Opera, and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. Cherished memories our family will hold are singing together around the piano on Sunday afternoons and listening to the sweet songs she would make up for her baby girl, Elodie.

She was a fierce journaler and avid movie consumer. Documentaries and podcasts fueled her passion for learning. She mastered the art of crocheting in the past few years, and made beautiful blankets, Elodie’s keepsake blessing dress, and one-of-a-kind clothing creations.

She was intellectually gifted, participating in advanced education programs and AP courses throughout her primary education years, and graduated from Skyline High School in 2015 as salutatorian. She was a gifted writer. She had offers from several prestigious universities, but accepted the Thomas S. Monson scholarship to attend Brigham Young University. After facing challenging health struggles, Terrica moved back to Idaho and went on to obtain her degree in Human Services from BYU-Idaho.

Armed with her intellect and sheer will, Terrica secured a job working in information technology (IT) at Idaho National Laboratory. She threw herself into the work, earning two separate promotions in two years, while simultaneously obtaining a Master’s Degree in IT Management. Her coworkers adore her and admire her work ethic and ability to help others feel valued. She had plans to start her PhD in organizational change this winter and become a leader at the lab. She loved her work and she was so grateful for her job that allowed her to stay home with her daughter, Elodie.

She met her eternal companion, Peter, at a time neither of them expected. They were both ready to give up on finding “the one,” but unexpectedly met each other online. Overcoming the limitations of traveling during the Covid pandemic, he courageously moved from Maine to Idaho to be with her. They were married on June 18, 2021, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple the next day.

Their marriage was pure joy. The way Terrica looked at Peter when he walked into the room was nothing short of inspiring. Anyone who witnessed them together could see how much Terrica adored Peter. They had and will always have unending love for each other - she called Peter, “Her universe, the match to her soul.” They would stay up too late with insomnia, talking about philosophy and the follies of men. They loved to travel and had plans to visit all the national parks, hike the Appalachian Trail, see Europe, and countless other adventures. There never was a more fulfilling, loving marriage. They were truly meant for each other.

Terrica and Peter were blessed to grow their family with the birth of their baby girl, Elodie Meredith Dutton on March 5, 2023. Terrica’s proudest achievement is being Elodie’s mom, and we know she will be her closest angel as she continues to grow.

She loves and she loves big. She cherished children and would do anything for her nieces and nephews, and was often overcome with adoration by their cuteness. She delighted in the news of others, and even as they moved away to Texas, daily video calls connected Terrica to her family who loved her most.

Terrica was a faithful, active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was someone who recognized her own weaknesses and depended on God to be her strength. She loved to serve her community and was the first to put their names down to feed the missionaries or bring a meal to someone in need. Age knew no limits in friendship for Terrica - she had a gift for loving everyone.

Terrica leaves a final indelible testimony that God lives. He has a plan for us. While we lament and weep for our loss, Terrica knew of the reality of eternal families. She is one of our Heavenly Father’s choicest souls. She is not just a memory or someone we once knew, but instead is alive and awaiting her joyful resurrection. We look forward to seeing and feeling her in our lives through the coming years.

Terrica is survived by her loving husband, Peter Burke Dutton of Wolfforth, Texas; beautiful daughter, Elodie Meredith Dutton; parents, Tory and Holly (Jensen) Landon; in-laws, Scott Dutton and Melissa Maher; siblings, Tylee (Josh) Bisnett, Teagan (Shateal) Landon, Tabrie (James) Cook; siblings-in-law, Scott (Meg) Brown, Orey Dutton, and Molly Dutton; grandparents, Rodger and Carol Jensen and Dennis (Mary Lou) Landon; as well as her adoring nieces and nephews, Kinzley Jo Bisnett, Harper Grace Cook, Takyzen Landon, Blake Bisnett, Cooper Cook, Trevik Landon, Madelyn Brown, and Kate Brown. She also leaves behind her two kitties, Tigey and Zippy.

She is preceded in death by her grandma, Iris Ann Landon; and Peter’s aunt, Meredith Peterson.

Family visitation will be held Thursday, August 10, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home East Side, 963 S. Ammon Road, Ammon, ID 83406. Funeral services will be held Friday, August 11, 2023, at 11 a.m., at the LDS Central Stake Center, 2025 Jennie Lee Drive, Idaho Falls, ID, 83404, with a visitation prior at the church from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery. Services will be broadcast live here .

A special thank you to their church family in Wolfforth, Texas, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, for wrapping their arms around our families during this heartbreaking time. If you'd like to help support her husband, Peter, and her sweet baby, Elodie, as they figure out their next steps, you can send donations to Peter's Venmo- @PeterDutton. If asked, the last 4 digits of his number are 5304.

If you are attending the service, you are welcome to bring a book for baby Elodie with a memory of Terrica written inside. We pray this may bring some comfort to Peter and Elodie.

In Terrica’s Words God is life. God is the raison d’être. He is why I am alive; He is why I am happy.

The last part of my story, part three, is still being written.

I hope my story includes a lot of love. I have had a broken heart, and a full one, but either way, I want love. Even if it breaks my heart again, or ten more times, I think love is one the very best commodities eternity has to offer.

I hope it includes a lot of cheese, and cheese-flavored things, and even cheesy jokes. I love that stuff.

I hope my story includes lots of bridges between myself and those around me. I hope I can form connections, and hold hands, and cry, and build, and listen. I hope I can hold others up, and I hope they will hold me up. I hope that I can build courage and faith in others with my story, and I hope I can learn strength and humor and joy from others, too.

I hope my story includes babies. Before, my body couldn’t bear a baby. Now it is healthy enough to do that, and I hope I get the chance to have motherhood be a part of my story.

I hope my story involves learning about people who lived before me. I hope it involves a lot of seeing and learning from ancient and modern peoples. I hope it includes traveling to Disneyland and New York and Cambridge and Rome.

I hope my story has a lot of laughing, real happy laughing, with my sisters and friends and family.

I hope my story has my siblings and parents, close in heart to me, and filled with love and joy because of their successes and families and stories. I hope they and I stay together in our relationships with each other.

I hope I get to experience a lot of learning in my story. I hope I learn about bodies and the economy, and thinking and chemistry, biology and the weather. I hope I can learn as much as possible from my grandfather and from my coworkers. I hope I can learn as much as I could ever understand about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I hope, more than anything in the world, that my story is suffused with the light of Christ. I hope that my whole story is intertwined with faith and hope and goodness and truth, with repentance and the Spirit, with God and Christ and eternity and glory.

I hope that I keep wickedness forever at bay in my story.

I hope that my story will be a story that I would like to write, for I am going to look back on this life forever.

This is part three of my story. This is the part that is to be continued.

Services may be viewed via Zoom.